This was a really good book, I did not think I would enjoy it as much as I did. Clara has left town with her father, they are hiding from an old boyfriend named Christian. He is obsessed with her. During the book, the chapters trade between the current and the past to show more of their relationship. Not only is she dealing with a crazy ex, her family has something that they are not telling her. I wish the climax of this book would have been a bit longer, but it was still really good with a nice ending. ( )

This book was good, actually I feel like I've already lived part of this book. I was in a serious relationship with a guy who was actually named Christian of all things (CREEPY!). So much of the stuff the fictional character Christian used to do, my Christian did too, but I guess all of these psycho types are a lot alike! I mean everytime he said stuff to her about "other Guys" I literally felt nauseous because it was like de'ja'vu for me. And it is really hard to leave when someone you love is begging and pleading and crying their eyes out for you not to leave, promising you they will change and get help, anything, just so you don't leave. These types of people know what to say to make you give them another chance, and another one and on and on... my boyfriend actually used to check what underwear I had on before I went to class to make sure they weren't too sexy. Just in case I had other plans besides going to the class he was driving me to and picking me up from.

Back to the book... I only gave it 3 stars because some of the descriptions of her feelings were just over-done or over metaphored. Also a girl doesn't always need another guy (Finn, although I liked his character a lot) to help her figure out her life. I think it teaches a bad lesson.
Another thing I noticed by reading this book is I dont like books set near the ocean. Authors always go so overboard on the descriptions of the surroundings. I don't like reading a whole page about what the sunset on the ocean looks like... blah!

The ending... I didn't want it to get over-dramatic, but not as much happened btw her and Christian on that last day at his house as was built up to have happened. And then why in the world would she stop and push a row boat in the OCEAN for God's sake when she thought someone was chasing her? I know it was meant to be about her mother or whatever, but no, no one would do that.

All in all, I'm glad someone wrote a book about someone who is possesive and jealous. It's not always about hitting someone for it to be abuse and this kind of abuse isn't written about much. And it's not always so easy as just leaving....

( )

Beautifully written story about a girl in a controlling relationship.

“Look right at that fear. Fear is the biggest bullshitter,” Clara’s father said to her. He was talking about the bridge over Deception Pass that was bringing them to their summer hideaway in the Pacific Northwest, but it may as well have been about her ex-boyfriend Christian. Clara Oates and her writer/widower father were leaving their town behind because Christian was intent on winning her back and would not leave her alone and his actions were bordering on the frightening. In alternating chapters, Clara tells the story of how they met and fell in love and then how Christian’s love became controlling and obsessive. The slow reveal of the details intensifies the creep factor of the relationship. Of course there is a summer romance and the one unrealistic part of the book. How can Clara fall and trust so easily after such a frightening romance with Christian? All of the staple themes are here: love, family, relationships, trust, lies, fear and obsession. All of the characters are fully developed and there is a plot twist that shakes Clara’s trust in everyone. Sarah Dessen, Laurie Halse Anderson, and of course Caletti fans will love this book. ( )

Love at first sight. It’s what every teenage girl dreams of, right? And for Clara, her first sighting of Christian at a high school basketball game seems to be exactly that. Clara and Christian meet again at the next game, and are soon inseparable. Christian is charming, adoring, and has a cute accent, and Clara falls hard for him. She writes effusively of the feeling of new love, of learning and discovering things about a person, of becoming “us.” And yet from the start of this novel, you can tell that you are being led up to something not-quite-good.

The narrator refers to “what if” and other reflections in hindsight, which kept me turning the pages quickly to see what exactly was going to happen. The book is easy to read, and Clara inserts funny little footnotes in the text, perhaps due to the fact that her father is also a writer, a novelist. Some of Clara’s epiphanies come across a little cliched, but within the context of the story still manage to work, such as “You know this is true if something terrible has happened to you. A thousand objects take on new meaning. Everything is a reminder of something else. A business card will never be just a business card. A handful of change will not. A rope will not” (43). I appreciate Clara’s progression through the relationship, her acknowledgement of the feelings and her denial that anything is wrong, while retrospectively pointing out how she should have acted, as well as her eventual realization that she cannot be responsible for the actions of another person. Clara’s father is supportive, taking action when apprised of the situation, and being the parent when it is necessary. Caletti is known for her realistic young adult fiction, and for addressing topics which aren’t always handled well in that genre, such as mental illness, teenage parenthood, and in this novel, obsession and co-dependence. As always, it is well-written and does not preach. ( )

Deb Caletti does it again, her writing is fantastic. Stay is probably my favorite of hers so far. It's so real, and heartbreaking. I love her characters and the amount of suspense in this book. A wonderful, wonderful read. ( )